The Brookhaven leader., 1887-07-14
More of Hamilton's Influence In
High. Places.

showed how he had been able To
obtain the signature of q late State
official and Congressman to false
certificate to perpetrate fraud
on the public and carry out his
designs. Another illustration of
his potential influence with the
powers that be about the State
House has just come to light.
1t will be remembered that Ham
ilton, while in the Senate in 1884,
succeeded on the heel of the session
in getting passed the act proNid-
ing for conditional transfer of
the Pcnitentiary lease to the
Gulf & Ship Railroad Company Of
which he was the head,-one Of
those private schemes, by the way,
alluded to in the Sword and
Shield article for which its ed
itor was assassnated. 1t was
flatteringly set forth in the pream-
hle to said Act that "thc Gulf &
Ship Island Railroad, as projected,
is an enterprise in which the whole
State is interested, as the building
of said road would do much toward
developing large section of the
State, thereby increasing its reven-
ues and bring in practical utility
the splendid harbor at Ship Island,
etc, and the average legislator,
brimrul of progressive ideas about
internal Improvements and other
etcctras, jumpcds at and voted for
the measure like speckled trout
swapping at roach.
The principal feature of the bill
provided for the tranfer by the
Penitentiarv lessecs Of their lease to
the said Gulf Il Ship Island Rail-
road Company on such terms as
might be mutually agreed upon
Che lessees themselves being the
principal part of the Railroad Com
pany at that time and that upon
the execution OF such transfer
and assignment, in writing, and n
copy thereof filed in the office Of
Secretary of State, the said lessceS
or their assigns should be released
from all liability thereafter to the
State of Mississippi. On such
transfer being consumated the State
was to receive her pay in first mort
gage bonds of the said Rail
road Company, and the lease extend
TO 1891.
Now such an assignment as was
provided for in said act was made
and signed in 1884, by the lessecs,
and filed in the office of the Secreta-
~ of State as the Act required. AS
will be seen this was a most impor
,ant paper, probably the most i'm
portant to be filed in that Office in
year. On it alone, probably, de
pended the evidence as to the liabil
ity of the parties. or the question as
/ o who was liable for the hire of the
convicts for the unexpircd term of
the old lease; but on the trial of the
demurrer in the suit against the
lcssees and their hondsmen now
pending in the Kinds county Cir
cult Court, it is developed that after
said paper had been so filed, Hamil-
ton went and got it out of the
Secretary States office and took it
away.
1t is said Mr.. Price Porter, De
putty Secretary Of State, is the
man who allowed him to take the
paper, andsthat he claims to have
done so on the advice or at the sug-
gestion of Gov. Lowry.
What a commentary Here is
one of the most important papers in
the Secretary States office, given up
to and carried off by Hamilton, and
with the connivance of the highest
State officials at that. Who would
have supposed such thing could
he done? Who could have done
it but Hamilton, the boss of the
Penitentiary Ring, and who, we
might say, is the boss Of the State
government? Who but him would
have had the cheek to try 1t?
Hamilton's original purpose seems
to have been about this: To get
himself and bondsmen released
from their obligation to the State
under the old lease; to have the
term of the lease extended sew
eral years; place few old and dis
abled convicts on the proposed
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad to
keep up a show of good faith, hire
all the rest out at a big profit to be